UKSPF replaced EU Structural and Investment Funds in the UK, and £9,393,538 was allocated to Leeds specifically for local delivery. 100% Digital Leeds was allocated funding to increase the capacity of community organisations to increase digital inclusion. The funding had a specific focus on interventions and activities that build people’s confidence to use digital tools and services as an enabler to increase financial resilience.
Digital Inclusion Officers
Funding has been used to appoint Digital Inclusion Officers in third sector organisations:
- The Old Fire Station in Gipton is hosting a Digital Inclusion Officer to focus on people of working age living in poverty or on a low income, and people who have been impacted by increases in the cost of living and who have low digital skills and confidence. They will also focus on areas of the city where people are more likely to experience financial hardship, including priority neighbourhoods, Areas of Multiple Deprivation, and pockets of disadvantage within more affluent areas of the city.
- Pyramid is hosting an Officer to focus on people with learning disabilities and autistic people. That Officer facilitates the Autism and Learning Disability Digital Inclusion Network (ALaDDIN) which brings together organisations to embed digital inclusion support within their service offers for people with learning disabilities and autistic people. Pyramid also hosts a consultation group of people with lived experience whose thoughts and opinions inform the work of the Officer and the Network.
- An Officer at Voluntary Action Leeds is focused on improving connectivity, digital equipment, and digital inclusion support in a number of community centres across the city. As well as supporting community organisations, the Officer will deliver digital inclusion support sessions and activities that build people’s confidence to use digital tools and services as an enabler to increase financial resilience and confidence.
- Leeds Older People’s Forum is hosting an Officer who will focus on older people and the organisations that support them. They will build on the success of the Be Online Stay Safe (BOSS) project as well as working with the Neighbourhood Networks across Leeds, and co-chairing the Older People’s Digital Inclusion Network.
Increasing digital inclusion and participation for these groups will give people more equitable access to online services and resources. It will enable people to use digital tools and technology to increase their independence and make more informed choices. It will also increase people’s ability to access a wide range of opportunities that may be available exclusively online, or are cheaper or more cost-effective if accessed online.
“Voluntary Action Leeds highly values our relationship with 100% Digital Leeds. As well as being an indispensable part of the city’s work to enable greater digital inclusion in communities, our experience is that they are entirely committed to working with the strengths of the third sector to deliver this mission; often through placing Digital Inclusion Officers close to communities in frontline third sector organisations. The team brings a creative mindset to thinking about how we reduce digital inclusion barriers. They are an invaluable source of knowledge, support and advice, and targeted resources for frontline third sector organisations.”
Social Value Manager, Voluntary Action Leeds